


The Sage of the Earth Temple

by Midna149



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cute, F/M, Gen, Minor Violence, POV First Person, Platonic Romance, Romantic Friendship, Sad, Sweet, i don't ship it but it's still very cute, okay i kind of ship it but only within this story, you can really just read into it whatever you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:40:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25114771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midna149/pseuds/Midna149
Summary: Medli is the Sage of Earth, destined to pray to the Gods for all time, and her time with Link, the Hero of Winds, will prove to be a burden on her heart and on her destiny.(I originally wrote this in 2012, and I thought it still held up well enough to deserve a fresh coat of paint and a re-upload onto this website. Kudos and Comments greatly appreciated!)
Relationships: Link/Medli
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. The Sage of the Earth Temple

**Author's Note:**

> Good day and/or night, lovelies. As I explained in the summary, I wrote this when I was 16. I am now 24, and aside from being faced with the terrifying ordeal of aging, I still maintain that this is one of my best works. I had it posted to FanFiction-dot-net, but nowadays I all but exclusively use this website for my writing, and people seem to like what I do here. Anyway, I combed through it, giving it some of my hopefully-better writing skills, and finally decided it was worthy enough for the outside world to read. If anyone stumbles across this and likes what they see, I humbly invite you to tell me as such. It'll make my day. Now without further ado, I don't like leaving long author's notes anymore, so this will be it. Enjoy, please!

“Medli, are you ready?" Link asked me, my fingers entwined with his. He and I stood outside the entrance to the Earth Temple. On the other side of the large stone door was my fate. I nodded absently, my eyes wide and unblinking. Link squeezed my hand a little tighter, gaining my attention. "It's going to be a dangerous journey, Medli. The creatures in this dungeon want to harm you, or worse. I'm not going to lie," he said. I winced at the piercing truth in his small, courageous voice. "Your life is in my hands. I will get you to the heart of this temple safely, even if I must risk my own life. But that means that you need to listen to what I say, without hesitation."

"What do you mean?" I asked softly.

"I mean,” he said patiently, “if I ask you to take me to a high ledge, you'll listen. If I tell you to stay where you are, you'll listen. If I tell you to get to safety while I fight off the danger, you'll listen.”

"You want me to just abandon you? But Link, I–"

"Medli." His firm tone silenced me. "You are much too important. All of Hyrule – the entire world – needs you as the Sage of Earth. If your safety means putting myself in danger, in the face of death, then so be it."

"But Link, you–"

"Please, Medli." He stopped me again, leaving no room for argument. "Please just listen to me." His eyes, so full of emotion, were begging me.

Even though I felt that Link was equally important, and not just to the world, I bit back any further protest and nodded. "I will."

A small smile of gratitude spread across Link's face. "So are you ready?" he asked again, and I nodded a second time. He stepped forward, touching the stone door entrance, and it split open, revealing the temple within.

Time to fulfill my destiny.

* * *

Leading me through the umpteenth doorway, Link stopped as we entered another room, this one with flights of stairs leading to landings I couldn’t see from where we stood. He looked around silently, as if searching for the trace of a sound.

"What's going on?" I whispered, and he held his hand up, motioning me to stay quiet.

"Moblins," he said after several seconds. "Three of them."

"How can you tell?"

"Lanterns. I can hear and see their lanterns,” Link said simply. He unsheathed his sword, the very one I was helping to revive. "Stay here. Stay hidden." Then he sprinted away without a backward glance. A few short moments later, I heard porcine grunts and young cries. I inched myself forward to try and see what was going on without being seen.

There were two Moblins left, and between the pair of fat, pig-like creatures, was Link, skittering around like a little green mouse. Link had disarmed one of the ugly monsters, and he had most of his attention on the other beast, who still had a firm grip on its own weapon. The disarmed Moblin, seeing an opening in Link's defenses, crept up behind him without being noticed.

My heart leaped into my throat and I couldn't breathe. The Moblin swung its fist into Link's left side. The force sent him flying into the wall nearest to me with a sickening thud and a cry of pain. Link slid to the ground face down, lying motionless. The terrifying seconds stretched by, and he still wouldn't move. My eyes widened in horror and I began to panic.

"Link! Get up!" I tried to keep my voice as level as possible. I didn’t know if the monsters would be able to hear me, but I almost didn’t care. I took a step forward, ready to run to his side, but he finally stirred, raising himself to his feet slowly. He winced when he stood up straight and pretended to carry his weight on both feet. Trying to appear uninjured, his face went hard, void of all emotion, like it did when he was ready to fight.

"Medli. Go, keep yourself hidden," he called; we were close enough that he had no need to raise his voice. He then ran off again, the signs of his injuries no longer present.

"Link, you can't do this to yourself." I muttered under my breath. "You can’t die."

Even though he hid it well, it was clear to me that he was hurt. When he dodged and jumped out of the way, he landed on his right foot and put little to no weight on the other. Several places on his person were seeping a dark crimson liquid through his tunic, and his face and hair were shining with sweat. Not that he wasn’t beyond capable, but between the time crunch and protecting me, it was a lot for him to handle without so much as a chance to catch his breath so far, and there wasn’t much I could do to help.

After a short while the large room fell silent. Link caught my gaze and beckoned me to him; it was safe now. When I reached him he was looking in pots for little vials of medicine. Too soon, the pots were all empty and he hadn't found enough to seal all of the wounds littering his body. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and said, "Alright. Let's go."

On an impulse I grabbed his arm. "Wait."

"What is it?" he rasped. His lungs must have been burning.

"Let's rest," I said, even though it sounded more like a question.

"We don't have time to rest. And I'm fine," he added. He sounded defensive.

It took a lot of restraint not to snort. "I need to rest," I said, going with the first thing that came to me. "I’m getting tired. We can make time. Come on, let’s rest please."

I think he knew I was lying, but nonetheless he obliged, and as he settled in front of me I swore I could hear him holding back groans of pain. My back was to the wall, so I gestured for him to lean against me, his back to my chest. I let myself rest a hand on his shoulder gently, careful not to hurt him further.

"Stop being such a tough guy for three seconds, Link," I said.

"Medli," he began, but I interrupted him.

"Just this once, please listen to me." At my words, he finally relaxed, a long sigh escaping his lips. I let loose a sad smile. I denied the thoughts in my head that wished this could have been the rule, not the exception.

I all but forced Link to rest long enough so that his wounds would make some form of recovery. But I wouldn't let him sleep; every few minutes I would jerk him awake and he would grumble, a childish little frown wrinkling his features. I felt bad, but I feared that if he fell asleep, he would lose consciousness, or worse.

Link soon grew restless, told me that we had to go, and I reluctantly obliged. I missed the calm respite already, but I held it back, knowing there were more pressing matters at hand.

Finally going through the door and into the next room, the first thing we both noticed was a large pool of ominous blue fog. Link and I glanced at each other, and he tentatively stepped toward it.

"Link, I don't think that's such a good idea," I said, eyeing the substance warily.

"I'm just testing it," he said. Extending his hand into the cloud of smoke, he allowed a few tendrils to curl up his arm. He turned around to face me, staring at the blue fog. He flexed his fingers and bent his elbow, wincing in pain.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well, at first, nothing. But when I move, it feels like my bones are on fire." The smoke on his arm faded, and he clenched his fist experimentally. "Well it's good to know it wears off at least. But I won't be able to walk you through this."

I looked past the fog, trying to brainstorm, and saw a ledge that was clear of the smoke. It wasn't terribly far away. "I can fly us across this," I told him.

Link shook his head. "No, it's too dangerous. I'll figure out a way to go around it."

"Come on, it’ll be fine. I can do it,” I said. 

"Medli, if something happened to you, I–" Link started, but I covered his mouth with my hand.

"I know. Just let me fly us across, Link.” I didn’t want to budge on this. I held his gaze until he sighed, defeated.

"Fine." He crouched down and lifted me over his head. “Ready?” he asked, and I nodded. He ran toward the fog and jumped over it. I instantly spread my wings and flapped furiously. Carrying Link's weight was doable, but tough.

"Medli!" Link yelled from below. "Look out! In the fog – Floor Masters!" 

There were two things I had learned about Floor Masters since being here: they grabbed anything that moved and dragged it to a faraway place in the temple, and they particularly favored Earth Sages. I continued to fly, tried to remain calm. We were almost there. In only a few seconds we would be safe from the blue fog and the monsters inside it.

Suddenly I felt a tug around my waist, and I was pulled to the ground, into the middle of the smoke. For some reason, though, I was unaffected by it. But I couldn't dwell on that thought long, because an agonizing scream pierced through the air.

Of course, Link had fallen, too. And he must have been in so much pain. I tried to run to him, to get him out of this horrible fog, but I felt that tug on my waist again. A Floor Master had grabbed hold of me with its large, black hand. My breath caught and I began to panic.

"Link! Help!" I called out. I caught a glimpse of him, out of arm’s reach. He was crouched on his hands and knees, eyes squeezed shut and teeth clenched tight. I could tell that he was in no condition to save me now. "Link! Come and find me, alright? Come and find me!" I yelled before the Floor Master's grip pulled me under the black abyss.

* * *

I must have lost consciousness, because when I regained it I was trapped inside what appeared to be a cage with very steep walls.

"Where am I?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. Looking straight ahead, I noticed a great, golden sun mask against the far wall. "I know this room…" I was in the center of the dungeon, the ground-level hall that connected all corners of the temple. I had no doubt that Link would find me here. It would just be a matter of how long it would take.

Being trapped in a cage was not as glamorous as one would think. My imagination and boredom stretched the minutes across eternity and to pass the time, I pulled out my harp and plucked at it aimlessly. I played a few pieces that I knew from my childhood, from the island, ones that Komali’s grandmother taught me. Then I eased into the Earth God’s Lyric, changing the tempo here and there, adding little notes and flourishes and twists. The way it echoed around the large chamber gave it an eerie feel.

I heard a door open and close, and I stopped playing my harp immediately. "Link? Is that you?" I asked tentatively. I peered between the bars of my prison, trying to find a hint of green. He appeared on the left, and I called his name again. He turned my way, and his eyes drifted to something above me. I followed his gaze to see a gap between the bars and the ceiling. Mentally chiding myself for not noticing such an obvious escape route sooner, I extended my wings and flew up and over the gap, landing by Link's side. 

"Thanks," I said, but something wasn't completely right with him. He wasn't speaking, and there was a vacant look in his wide eyes. “Link, are you okay?" I asked, reaching for his shoulder, but he jumped back and fell to the ground clumsily. "Hey, it's alright! I’m right here, what happened?" I crouched next to him, but didn't touch him again. I looked straight into his eyes, but it was like he couldn't quite see me. "Link, you're safe now. You're safe. Tell me what happened, please."

He finally let out a long breath, like he’d been holding it in for much too long. His eyes found mine and he began to relax. "Medli… Sorry," he said with a sigh. He cupped my cheek, as if making sure I was real.

“What happened, Link?" I repeated, leaning into his touch. He shuddered and gulped.

"Redeads," was all he said, and I didn’t need any clarification. Redeads didn't just attack their victims; for seemingly lifeless creatures, they’d perfected the gruesome art of breaking down their victims to the core. It was difficult to think about, let alone experience.

"Oh, my… I'm so sorry, Link." His eyes began to water and I instinctively wrapped my arms around him. If he wanted to protest, he held it back. For a long while, we just sat on the stone floor, not speaking. I rubbed circles into his back and hoped that my presence was comforting enough.

Finally, and to my dismay, he pulled away with a murmur of gratitude. The shy little smile on his face was enough to assure me that he meant it. But unfortunately it was time to move on. "We've almost found the heart of the temple," he said quietly, wiping at his eyes. Pulling out his map of the dungeon, he gestured north, toward the mask against the wall. “If we follow the pathway under this statue then we should find our way easily." I nodded in acknowledgement, quickly consumed by my thoughts.

The heart of the temple… I knew all too well what that meant. Soon Link and I would be separated, no doubt forever. I couldn't even guess if Link was upset about this truth, but it honestly devastated me. I wasn’t keen on the idea of spending my life alone, or apart from a certain hero in particular, but it was futile to try to argue with my lot in life. I had no other choice but to embrace my fate as Earth Sage. 

I must have really been out of it, because before I knew it, Link told me we were just outside the center of the temple. The only thing that stood between that room and us was a wide, deep chasm.

"Well, I guess there's really no other way," Link said with a shrug. I crouched down, allowing him to carry me. He leaped across the chasm, and we only barely made it to the other side before my wings gave out.

Standing just outside the large, ornate door, Link and I both visibly shuddered. "Do you sense it, too?" Link asked me.

"Yes. It's evil.”

Link turned to face me and looked straight into my eyes. "I'm not letting you go in there."

"But what if I could be of some help to you?" I asked.

Link shook his head. "No. I’m sorry, but absolutely not. They're after you, Medli. And I need to fight whatever’s in there; I won’t be able to do that and protect you at the same time. Your safety is my top priority, and I’ll be just fine on my own. You’ll be the first to know when I’m done, I promise.”

I acknowledged his attempt at lightening the mood with a little smile. “I know, and you’re right. I just feel so… useless,” I said.

Link grabbed my shoulders gently. “You’ve been more helpful than you give yourself credit for. We make a good team, and I couldn’t have done this without you." It didn’t seem like he was lying, or only trying to make me feel better, so I tried to believe him.

“Well then, you know where I’ll be if you need me, right?" I said, mostly joking. Link nodded, a silly little grin on his face, as he stepped up to the door.

"Link!" I called out at the last second. He turned and I hesitated for a moment, feeling a little guilty for stalling, then quickly hugged him tightly around the waist. "Be careful in there, okay?" I said into his chest.

He reciprocated the embrace and I silently savored it, tried to memorize it. "Thank you, Medli. I will," he said, and I begrudgingly let him go. I watched with tears in my eyes as he stepped through the door and into the danger that lurked behind it.

For the second time, I was sitting all alone in a big, empty room, waiting for Link to come and get me. I sat against the wall, watching the large round door, and absently plucked at the strings of my harp. It didn't do much to drown out the sounds of sword slashes and shouts. I was resisting every urge and impulse to press my ear against the door, so I could hear every strike, every grunt, every drop of blood.

I forced my inner monologue to tell me that he would be alright, that he knew what he was doing, that he was not going to die. He was more than skilled enough to succeed, incredibly so for such a young boy, in fact. His exemplary abilities were surreal considering his relative lack of experience, let alone his courage, his determination, his passion to fight for the people he cared about. I supposed that I was one of them. There was no reason to doubt him, but I couldn’t help worrying anyway. 

Willing my mind and body to relax, I let out a sigh. "Please, Link. Just be okay," I said into the empty chamber. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Letting my harp rest idly in my lap, I remained in that position against the wall as I waited patiently for Link to come and get me.

* * *

Next thing I knew I was, to my surprise, being shaken awake from half-sleep. The first thing I saw was Link smiling warmly at me, and I couldn't help but grin back. His bright, soft face was a wonderful sight to wake up to.

His golden hair was dripping with sweat, and there were countless rips and frays on his clothes. But there wasn't a single drop of blood on his person, nor was there any trace of pain in his eyes. He must have been able to heal himself before coming out here.

"Link." I almost thought I must have been dreaming. "You made it. You're alive."

"Good morning, sleepy head," he said with a bit of teasing to his tone. He crouched down next to me, probably to rest his muscles for a moment. "And of course I'm alive. You have no faith in me."

I touched his hair with the tips of my fingers, to confirm that I wasn't imagining him. It was softer than I’d expected. He watched me do it, his small smile turning sad. "Our job here is not done yet,” he said.

I tore my eyes away from his, instead looking at the floor. "I hate this part," I said with a sigh, but nodded all the same.

Link stood and helped me to my feet. I grabbed my harp and followed him into the next room. It was a large, circular chamber, with a great Triforce emblem covering the floor. In the center of the Triforce, between the three sacred triangles, was a soft blue light. It was the perfect place to spend the rest of my life as a Sage. I couldn’t tell if the idea made me feel bitter, sad, empowered, or some combination of all three.

I stood still and silent for a moment, pondering my place in the world. Somehow only days ago, I was an apprentice attendant to the spirits – important enough, but not especially significant. But now, I was a Sage, the Sage of Earth, imperative and irreplaceable, helping to save the land from all the evil that may threaten it. The fate of the future partially rested on my shoulders. I had a destiny to fulfill, and I would proudly do so to the best of my abilities, even if it was under less than preferred circumstances.

Link stood next to me, entwining his fingers with mine. I was brought back to the very beginning of this perilous journey. It felt like so long ago now, a different lifetime even.

"Medli, are you ready?" he asked, like before.

My eyes remained on the blue triangle of light as I said, "Ready as I'll ever be."

Link nodded his head in response and unsheathed the legendary Master Sword, striking it into the center of the altar.

Link stood across from me and we faced each other ceremoniously. As I readied my harp, he pulled out the Wind Waker, the age-old conductor's baton that led me to embrace my own awakening, to realize my own destiny. He held it high above his head and looked at me, asking the silent question. I nodded with finality, and Link dropped the baton, tracing it to the left and right.

I allowed six counts before starting. The Earth God's Lyric gradually filled the room, circling Link and me, as if the notes themselves were giving their power to the Master Sword. I felt the ghost of my predecessor's hands hover over my own, guiding my fingers, aiding me as best she could from the afterlife. After the first verse, she added her own original touches, and the song became full and complete, swirling around the room with its warm, ethereal timbre that made the air crackle with spiritual energy.

My fingers brushed across the final note and the cadence reverberated off the walls. The echoing sound curled up and around the Master Sword. In a flash of golden light, the sword transformed, the hilt now fully extended.

Link lowered his Wind Waker, and I held my harp at my side. He stepped into the blue light and took the Master Sword, raising it high above his head in reverence. "Thank you," he said, returning it to its sheathe.

I smiled back. "There is still one more prayer that needs to be made,” I said. “Find the Sage of Wind and they will help you." Link nodded. There was little that needed to be said at this point, but I didn’t want this to be it. "Komali… please watch over him for me.”

"Of course," Link agreed, walking over to me. "Take care of yourself, Medli."

Tears filled my eyes. This was really happening and I couldn’t stop it.. "You too, Link." He wrapped his arms around me, and I returned the embrace. "Will you come by some time?" I asked, ignoring the stinging in my throat.

Link hugged me tighter. "Of course I will." I silently hoped he would keep his promise.

I pulled away from him, wiping my eyes. "Okay, go be a hero," I said, feigning lightness in my voice that seemed believable enough.

Link stepped into the blue light once more. Our eyes met for the last time. Link waved to me with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "See you later, Medli,” he said, and I waved back. He was vanishing, returning to the surface to complete his journey. He was a hero. I was a Sage. Our destinies were intertwined, meant to aid each other, but nothing more. It couldn't be any other way.

My journey with the hero I had grown to care deeply for, against my better judgement, was the best time of my life. If I could hold onto those memories, I could withstand my duty as the Sage of Earth for all my existence. For Hyrule. For the future. For Link.

Just before he disappeared, tears once again began to spill from my eyes. "Goodbye, Link,” I said, and then he was gone.


	2. Epilogue - Two Years Later

Epilogue – Two Years Later

* * *

Two years have passed since that day. Two years have I been the Sage of Earth, praying to the Gods for the land's safety. Life as a Sage was not nearly as thrilling as one would think. In fact, it was quite monotonous. Not to mention extremely lonely. I'm proud to be a Sage, to be someone of importance, but the Gods couldn't have allowed me some sort of entertainment or distraction, could they?

Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about a certain hero in green clothes and a strange-shaped hat. In such a long time, I’ve grown skeptical that he even remembers my name or what I look like. I remembered him, though. Everything about him. I remembered his yellow hair that put sunshine to shame. I remembered his goofy little smiles, and how expressive he always was, even when he probably wasn’t trying to be. It was specifically his eyes that I remembered most; he showed his emotions so openly, and I always admired him for it. But sometimes there was more underneath the surface and I couldn’t tell what. I’d cautiously hoped that there would have been a time and place for him to confide in me.

In two years, Link had not come to see me like he promised. I didn't necessarily blame him; I'm sure he's been busy with more pressing matters. As much as I wanted him to come back, a secret, shameful part of me suspected that such a dream might never come true.

Suddenly, a noise from the other side of the room's door brought me from my reveries. How odd; it’d been silent in the Earth Temple for two long years, aside from my harp playing. Then, not five seconds later, there was a soft thud at the door. All the color drained from my face as I imagined the absolute worst case scenario: a monster broke into the temple, and it has come all this way to kill me. Two years wasn’t a very successful run as a Sage, but hopefully it was enough. The regret that rang loudest in my head was simply not seeing him again.

I braced myself for death; if I was going to die, it might as well be with dignity. The large, round door creaked as I stood and took a deep breath. Who or whatever was opening the door was apparently struggling with its immense weight. Debris and rubble spilled from the cracks in the door as it was rolled open only a little, and from the small gap emerged a figure. Once the dust settled I almost didn’t recognize who it was. 

He was only slightly taller than I remembered, apparently having missed the memo about his teenage growth spurt. His skin had a healthy sunkissed glow to it, undoubtedly earned from seafaring. There were little streaks of sun bleached yellow in his hair, though, and had grown a little unruly. The shaggy bangs hanging in front of his eyes didn’t dull their brilliant shine at all. He was no longer wearing his home’s traditional tunic, but instead an emerald long sleeve shirt, brown pants, and simple boots. He looked nice, more suited for maritime travel. The sword strapped to his back seemed to be of completely ordinary, man-made design.

But it was still definitely him. No amount of time would change him completely.

All I wanted to do was embrace him, but I was frozen to the spot. I couldn't believe it. I didn't believe it, not really. After so long, why now? What's been keeping him? Maybe I was imagining him. My mind must have conjured him up in an effort to feel anything other than loneliness.

Then again, if he were only my imagination, would he look so different from my memory’s image of him? I couldn’t be sure. I desperately wanted to believe, but the time since I’d last seen him wasn’t making it easy. Everyday I have wished and hoped – and secretly prayed – that he would return, even if just for a moment, but it never came true. And though I never admitted it to myself, I had been steadily losing faith in the possibility for a while.

In the midst of my own inner turmoil, he had taken a few tentative paces toward me and I almost didn’t notice. All I could do was watch wait. He couldn’t be here, not really. He was a mirage, a fabrication. He never took his eyes off me, coming closer and closer, only an arm's length away now. I wanted to call out his name, but I couldn't. I wouldn't. That would make all of it disappear. It would bring back the real world, and I wasn’t ready to face it.

It was hard to breathe. I couldn’t believe that he was here, but everything about him seemed so tangible. Was I only imagining the expanding and contracting of his chest as he breathed? Were the shadows cast by his eyelashes onto his cheeks not actually real? Was that look in his eyes, hesitantly beaming despite the thin line his lips made, not really here? Was it all in my head? I didn’t know. I don’t know if I wanted to know. It was too much, but... 

"Medli."

It was almost too soft of a sound, but I knew. The harp in my hand fell to the ground with a metallic clatter, but I barely heard it. All the despair and loneliness of the past two years disintegrated into hope and comfort. I reached out and he remained still, allowing me to touch his cheek.

"Link..."

He was real. He was really here.

I stepped forward and all but collapsed into his arms, tears spilling free. Link embraced me, running his hand up and down my back as I all but failed to speak through the sobs.

"Y-you didn't come back… for two years…" I said. I had missed his presence too much to be embarrassed. "I thought you'd forgotten me. Where did you go…?"

He remained silent for a long while, patiently allowing me to regain composure at my own pace. Once I was able to take several deep, albeit shaky, breaths, he gently asked me to look at him. His wonderful eyes told me so much, but he opened his mouth to speak anyway.

"I'm sorry, Medli. I can't imagine how you must feel… I've let you down, and I can't make up for it. You must hate me…" 

“Link, I could never,” I said quickly, before he could go on. I really needed him to know.

He offered me a sad sort of smile, like he thought I was merely being polite, and continued on. "I just want you to understand… I did not forget you. I was always coming back for you. I just… I couldn't. Things got in the way…"

He motioned for us to sit, and once we were comfortable enough he began to speak once more. He and his friend Tetra, with her pirate crew, had been searching for land on which to found the new kingdom of Hyrule. But misfortune seemed to follow them, presumably due to being bearers of the Triforce. Tetra was abducted by a cursed Ghost Ship in the middle of an unfamiliar sea, and as Link went after her, they were both transported to a parallel world. The spirits that resided there had called upon them for their help in vanquishing an malevolent being that threatened the way of life.

Link added that taking up a sacred blade and felling another great evil was the last thing he expected to have to do, but he took to the responsibility of hero much more naturally than he had the first time. The skill and know-how were still all too fresh in his mind. Like an old war wound that he hadn’t given much thought to in a while, he said, but had never forgotten entirely. I got the feeling that he viewed his skills with a sword as more of a curse than a gift, after everything he had endured.

Link then disclosed, with a wince and a grimace, that he hadn’t even fully recovered from his initial quest among these islands when he was summoned for the second one. He still suffered from sleepless nights, and when he could finally bring himself to rest there were unspeakable terrors in his dreams more often than not. He felt like a coward every time the most harmless of shadows made him jump like a mouse, an irony of which he was acutely aware… And being forced to brave it all again only doubled the intensity of it all. 

“Honestly I consider it a kindness from the Gods to sleep at all anymore,” he said. I silently disagreed; he was far too young, too good to be cursed with such unspeakable burdens, and if the Gods took no issue with their loyal champion suffering so terribly, then they were cruel deities. But I pushed those thoughts away to focus on his words again.

“But I promise, I swear to you that I never forgot about you. I counted the days. The thought of seeing you again… you and my sister… it kept me going. I knew I had to come back, I wouldn’t entertain any other option. But after a while, I started to fear that there would be no one to return to. I worried that you’d all give up hope that I would. I hope you believe me. I hope you aren’t angry.” I could feel the tension radiating from him in waves, holding in his emotions so well like he did. 

I smiled at him softly and touched his cheek. His muscles instantly relaxed, but not completely. “I understand, Link,” I said slowly. “I’m not angry with you. I never could be. Some days were especially difficult, but my faith in you was always with me, I assure you.” He closed his eyes and nodded, letting a long breath out. “And… I’m sorry about everything you had to go through. It sounds so incredible and terrible and exhausting all at once. I wish there were something I could do to ease your pain.”

Link opened his eyes at that, shaking his head gently. The sadness in his eyes broke my heart, but the smile he gave softened the blow. “You’ve already done more than enough, but thank you,” he said. It seemed that he had gathered his fraying emotions back together successfully, and I tucked away the small amount of pride I felt for helping him do so.

He cleared his throat. “But enough of my ramblings… I wanted to talk to you about something much more important,” he said. I wondered what could possibly be more important than saving the world, but I waited with bated breath all the same. He took my hands with his own, and the weight of what the next moment would hold filled the air.

“We found it, Medli. A new land. We can rebuild Hyrule, our Hyrule. We’ve been searching for so long, but we can create our new kingdom and bring everyone together like it’s supposed to be.” His voice was calm and quiet, but his excitement was palpable. 

“Link, that’s… That’s great!” I said, smiling back, but I couldn’t tell if I completely meant it. “You really did it, and I’m happy for you. Everyone will be so happy in your new Hyrule, I’m sure.” I could all but taste the bitterness of my own words, and naturally he caught on all too easily. I couldn’t keep anything from him. 

“You won’t be? Happy, I mean?” he asked.

I was taken back a little. “Well, I… if I’m honest I’m not sure what this news has to do with me,” I said, a little more bluntly than intended, and Link let out a little laugh. It was a lovely sound that I longed to hear more of, but its timing confused me.

“Medli, it has everything to do with you,” he said. “I came here because… well, I came here to take you there.”

I almost didn’t believe him at first, wondered if I really was imagining things this time. But Link wasn’t one to be dishonest, and the sincerity in his voice, on his face, from everything about him, easily convinced me that he was genuine. But I still struggled to completely comprehend it.

“Why?” I said, after a long moment. The sound of my voice forming that question, of all things, felt pathetic and underwhelming. But as usual Link gave me all his grace and patience anyway, with only the barest hint of a blush across his cheeks. Something I had never before seen, and now felt optimistic that I could see again.

“I want you there with me, Medli,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

All I could do was blink at him, mouth hanging open. The Gods couldn’t have crafted a sweeter dream for me than my reality at this moment. My chest felt like it would burst any second with the purest, brightest happiness I had ever felt. It was almost alarming. 

“R-really? Does… Does that mean you…?” I trailed off, as if speaking it out loud would scare it away. 

His smile could have challenged the sun itself. “If you want,” he said, his voice timid but hopeful, and it felt like I had to choose my words carefully for a moment like this. I took a few breaths to ground myself and calm my nerves, and took his hands in mine. He embraced the touch right back. I couldn’t hold back the smile on my face if I tried. Not that I wanted to. 

“Of course, Link. There’s nothing I would want more.”


End file.
